Improvement in knapsack-attachments



A duced faire @anni @Wire Leners Patent No. 93,130, dataz- Juiy 27, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNAP'SACK-ATTACHMENTS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part yof the same.

To whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES SHERLOCK, of the city,

county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Carrying Knapsacks, Haversacks, and 'other accoutrements; and l hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same. It iswellknown that the straps by which the knapsack, cartridge-boi, and other accoutremcnts carried by the soldier, are attached to the person, are very defectively arranged, cramping and binding the breast and arms, and exercising an extremely injurious effect upon the vital organs; and, furthermore, that thcl load is very unevenly distributed, the greater portion, if not all of it, hanging from the back, and requiring the bending forward of the body, in order to preserve the equilibrium, and keeping the muscles in a constant state of tension, in order to properly sustain the weight.

These evils have long been felt, and the importance of some means whereby they may be removed is universally'recognized, and the object I have in view is to furnish a ready and convenient means for the purpose.

The nature of "my invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures l, 2, and 3, represent front, side, and rear views, respectively, of the different laccoutrements and straps, as they appear when applied to the person.

In the present instance, the basis of the system of attachments is the cartridge-box belt et, whichv passes around the neck and rests upon the shoulders, hanging down in front, so as' to carry the cartridge-.box A, which occupies the position on the person shown in fig. 1, this position being that which is now considered by many the best for all purposes in actual4 service.

The waist-belt b passes through loops formed in the rear of the cartridge-box, and is fastened around the waist in the usual manner. In order to attach the knapsack, without compress` ing the chester binding under the arms, I provide the cartridge-box strap, on each side, with a ring', or equivalent holding-device, c, which is arranged, as shown in the drawings, so as to connect the divided strap a, and to these rings the knapsackstraps are attached.

To this end, on each side of the knapsack B are top aud bottom straps (l e, each provided, at or near i'ts end, with a hook, f. In attaching the knapsack to the person, the upper straps' are passed over the shoulders, and their-hooks f are caught over theupper part of the rings C. The lower straps are then brought up, and their hooks are also caught over the lower part of the rings, as indicated in dotted lines, fig. 2.

lAn inspection of the drawing is all that is needed,

without further explanatiomto demonstrate that the chest is leftfree and unconned, and that the straps cannot in any manner bind or cramp the arms, or interfer'e with free movement of the person. Moreover, the coat can readily be unbuttonedand thrown open, which, under the old system of strapping, is impracticable.

Another advantage gained by thus attaching the knapsack to the cartridge-box strap, instead of 'strapping it directly to the person, is that the weight of the box, which, when filled with the proper supply of cartridges, is considerable, serves vto counterbalance,

to a very appreciable extent, the weight of the knapsacks In order to still furthercounterbalance the knapsack, and to distribute equally the weight, as well as to furnish a convenient means of attaching the haversack, canteens,&c., I extendthe ends of the knap-A sack-strap's beyond the points where the hooks f are attached, and furnish these ends with loops or rings h., in which are caught the snap-hooks It, on the end of `the canteen-straps, and like hooks l, on the haver,-

sack-straps.

The position occupied by the canteens C, which I prefer to use in pairs, is shown clearly 'in fig. 1.

I find it'convenient, also, to use a pair of haversacks, D, which =occupy the position on the person shown in figs. 2 and`3.

The strap or straps by which they are suspended may be long enough to pass under the arms and over the shoulders, if the weight of the articles contained in them be vsufficiently great to make this mode of carrying them more comfortable, but ordinarily it will be sufcientto use the hooks I, as shown.

. The two haversacks are connected in -rear by a hook and ring, m n, as shown'n iig. 3, so that one haversaok may be disengaged from the other, and brought around to the front, whenever necessary.

This mode of constructing and arranging the haversacks will be found convenient and advantageous in many respects. l

It will be, of course, understood, that while specifying th'e use of rings and hooks, I can make use of any other suitable fastening-devices v'for the purpose. I prefer, however, the use of the devices named, as they admit of the accoutrements being secured to or removed from the person with the utmost facility and dispatch.

It will also be understood that the straps are constructed and provided with buckles, &c., 1n the usual.

manner, so that they may be adjusted to the'size' of the person usingthem. By lengthening or shortening the straps of the canteens, haversacks, 85o., their weight may be so adjusted,' as, in connection with the cartridge-box, to counterbalance quite accurately the .weight of the knapsack.

For such duty as does. not require the use of all the cccutrements, the soldier can, hang the cartridge-box strap over one shoulder, in the usual manner, and the knapsack may be then secured also in the usual manner, by catching the lower hooks fin the rings h.

Having now described my invention, and. the manner in which the same isV or may be carried into e'ect,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of the cartridge-box, divided cartridge-box strap, and' connecting-rings, with the knapsack, knapsack-straps, and supporting-hooks, nnder the arrangement shown and'specitied.

2. The two haversacks, when constructed, arranged, and connected with each other, and with the straps fronr which they are suspended, substantially in the Witnesses M.- BAILEY, A. POLLOK. 

